By Harold Iron Shield
Copyright © 1999 NPMC
Concerned Sisseton-Wahpeton Tribal members called a meeting to discuss concerns about the lack of individual civil rights. In recent incidents that have occurred involving tribal members who were charged with breaking the law were severely punish. The incidents involving the whiteman some were not punish as were the tribal members.The group reviewed the bill of rights under the Tribe's constitution and discoving there no civil rights provisions included in the current document.
An amendment regarding civil rights of tribal members of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Dakota Nation would question whether or not the tribe would lose it's sovereignty status.
Those concerned tribal members feel the injustice occurring when a fellow tribal member is in the court system of the whiteman. Some tribal members feel that the Justice system in America is not working for Indigenous people in America. The consensus of the group found that the constitution and by-laws of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe ought to be amended to define individual civils rights, treaty rights, and sovereigh rights for every tribal member to enjoy.
The overall issue is Civil and human rights in a area of which much of the situation is on and off Native reservation. A town called Sisseton, South Dakota of which many of the tribal members of the Sisseton-Wahpeton reside oftentimes appear before judges in the courts they feel are unjust.
Basic Human and Civil rights are constantly violated and many of the tribal members are unaware of there violated rights. A series of human and civil rights forums are underway to educate those who are not aware of there basic rights.
A tribal member said, "we need a guarantee of equal protection under our laws. We have become so accustomed to violations of our civil rights that these violations are now viewed as just politics. As individuals, we are entitled to free speech, but when we exercise those rights then we are labeled as trouble makers."
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For more information contact: Harold Iron Shield Phone: 218-236-5434 ~ E-mail: npmc@pepp.org
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